The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-13
THE LAWLESS WHITE CAPS
Further Details of the Law-Defying
Organization of Southern Indiana.
Men and Women Dragged from Their Beds and
Severely Whipped-CorydonC Captured and
Officials Made to Pay Over Public Money.

Louisville Times.
The Knights of the Switch of southern Indiana
not confined to one neghborhood. nor even
to one county. The report Of lynching in
Crawford county one day is followed the next by
a whipping in Harrison and second flashing in
Harrison within week is succeeded by the
mobing of family and burning their home near
Madison. in jefferson. Tine organization, som .
think is loose. They claim that the outrages
are committed by bands raised for the occasion.
having no permanent organization and no con-
nection with each other This is the opinion of
George W. Self, editor of the Corydon Republic
an Others, including David Murrah editor of
the Harrison County Democrat. think the organi-
cation has been very perfect though carely main
tanned for year or two.
There have been many attempts by the grand
jury to find out and punish the offenders, but
they have so far proved ineffective. Hardly q
court is held that the jury is not instructed to
make this effort with reference to some case of
recent. occurrence, but the knights" are on the
jury and In the courtroom. and nothing has
ever been discovered in this way.
One of the few cases of confession of mem
bership furnishes the following: The knights
are organized in lodges, like the Masons, Odd
fellows and others. They have secret signs b y
which they know each other. They meet at APP
pointed places. but not often in the same place.
and very seldom in the house. They operate
mostly in the summer and their favorite tryst
ingpace is a secluded grove Here, upon notice
from a leader of lodge, they hold a council
upon any case of chronic misconduct not reached
by law, ami determine what the punishment
shall be- Upon an appointed night the punish
ment Ia inflicted. A sign between lodges is to
lay crossed fence-rails in the middle of the road
The large majority of citizens of Harrison
county think the effect of this irregular sort OF
administration of Justice is salutary and are
ready to accept the punishment as evidence of a
fair verdict of guilty. The more thoughtful are
ready to admit that the organization is some
times made the weapon of private malice aud
that there is danger of its being more and more
frequently used.
The earliest known band of the knights or
white Caps" was organized in Scott township,
Harrison county, near seventeen years ago. AT
that time they whipped James n. kean, a small
farmer. The charge against him petty
tnieving and general shlftessness. Several
similar cases followed in Scott and adjoining
townships.
Then, about ten years ago they whipped Jack
Reed, who lived on Buck creek, in Boone town
ship. He charged with burning wheat
stacks Reed was well-ro-do farmer. and the
impression became general that the white
Caps" had made mistake. Six seven men
were indicted and tried, but. while much evil
dence was brought against them, conviction
that would hold could be secured One man was
sentenced for six months, but secured a
encouraged the white Caps" and their whip
pings occurred in all parts of the county. In
Heath township John HI. Dykes, his two sons
and n man named Hannegan were dashed upon a
charge of stealing corn hoes and other small ag-
ricultural implements.
In Webster township Oliver Hutchler was
soundly beaten with hickories because he
wouldn't work and insisted on his wife leading a
bad ife
Across in Crawford county band went from
Harrison to aid a similar organization there.
selves with long hickory withes each side of
a very narrow lane, made him run the gauntlet
bareback. They had men stationed at each end
of the double line to turn the poor wretch back,
and there they drove him back and forth. strip
ing him at every jump, till he was thoroughly
punished
In Spencer township young unmarried WON
an named Upton several years ago had twins
The knights" administered good thrashing
with hfckorles. She brought suit against several
whom she claimed to recognize. and the case was
recently compromised, it is said by the payment
of considerable sum of money. The other
day the woman still unmarried, again had
twins
Tine Cole a farmer living Oh Blue river, in
Scott township number of years ago. had liv-
ing with his family his wife's sister. She
found to be in delicate condition. and Cole, it
is alleged, persuaded an old man to marry her.
The vigiIantes took Cole out and thrashed him
AT Mauckport William Foster was whipped for
beating his wife and general ''cussedness." He
said when they first attacked him he knocked
one of them in the head with ak. and q
of Fosters named Mounts, but Mounts seen
unmarked in the streets of Corydon the follow
ing day.
Murray Foster. near Mauckport, for taking
trfng articles belonging to others, was put on
his good behavior by Climbing"
One form of punishment included hauling
wood by moonlight. big Tennesseean in Scott
township charged with failure to provide
wood for his wife. The white Caps went ono
cold night, got the offender out in his night
Clothes hitched him to a small sled and made
him hAnl a DAYS sunply of fua1 Thau
him from catching cold by the free
use of hickoFies.
In Blue-river township lived an apparently
stout, hearty farmer. Lem Arnold He was &c
FUSED of general shiftlessuess and of leaving his
wife TO haul and cut wood for the winter fire.
The committee waited on him by moonlight and
hauled wood. Arnold drew the sled. A few
weeks afrerward according TO account, he
lied of consumption. Others say his death did
not occur for year.
In the same township, Henry Long was law
yer. VINO was always disturbing element. com
ng to the front especially elections He was
brought to trial before magistrate at Hancock
Chapel on a charge of murder. While the trial
was in progress band of masked men, with
heir coats turned, surrounded the chapel. Long
'prang to the door and as the first man broke
n shot him dead. The victim proved to be NJ.
Henriot respected young Frenchman, whom
.he mob had forced into the lead. Long tried
70 shoot again, but the chamber of his revolver
refused to turn. He made dash through the
crowd and escaped but received several shots.
rom the effects of which he died next day at
<leber's Hotel, in Corydon.
In May, 1885, there was much talk of corrup-
ion in the county Offices. This principally
lgitated by the Republicans. G. X. Gwartmey
EDITOR of the Corydon Democrat, in reply to a
.al for him to advocate investigation, replied
f the Republicans wanted investigation let
hem have it and pay for it. saving the county
expense. One Saturday evening two men rode
INTO Corydon, put up their horses and said they
lad come to see the Ku-klux. At dusk horse
men began to ride into town in squads by every
Dad from the county In half an hour between |
throa htrr,d iva had b.
ic square. Very few citizens were to be seen |
IN the street, and these moved about very |
quietly.
The mob had their coats turned, wore hand |
lerchiefs their faces; some had white N asks |
md a dozen other forms of disguise used |
Most noticeable was that all the horses had white
masks their heads with holes cut for the eyes |
md ears. number of horses had white strips |
arnund fnre Lar. The hand rnda In mill l